Queer As Punk

Queer Malay band Shh…Diam — amusingly named after the Malay expression for “shut up” — sing, shout, and riff about the realities of being trans and queer in modern Malaysia as they navigate relationships and their sense of belonging in the world pre and post-COVID. Queer as Punk is a subervise portrayal of openly queer creatives in a country where same-sex relationships are still illegal, with director Yihwen Chen broaching urgent conversations around the importance of community and the unyielding power of creativity as a bridge — all with plenty of bizarre music lyrics, even more bizarre real stories, chroma key outfits, and a whole lot of charm.

Isra Al Kassi